INQUEST OPENED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 May 1938, Page 7

INQUEST OPENED

VICTIM OF SUITCASE MURDER SON IDENTIFIES CLOTHING CORONER REQUIRES FURTHER TESTIMONY (By Telegraph —Press Association). BLENHEIM, May 9. All clothing removed by the police from the headless and legless body found in a suitcase under the Picton Wharf on Saturday was produced at the opening of the inquest this evening at the Picton Courthouse, and was positively identified by William Aitken Armstrong, aged 19, student, Wellington, as belonging to his father, Edwin Norman Armstrong, who has been missing from his home at Hataitai, Wellington, since 8.30 on Friday morning. At the conclusion of the proceedings, which were formal, occupying only 15 minutes, the coroner, Mr E. J. Hill, Blenheim, indicated that the testimony was insufficient to satisfy him as to the point of identification, but the police intimated that they had nothing further to offer in the meantime.

In a prepared statement which was read, William Armstrong said he last saw his father at 8.15 on Friday morning when witness departed for the city, 1 leaving his parents together at home. He was quite definite that the brown suit he had been shown by detectives was the one his father wore when dressed in his best clothes. After identifying each article produced, witness said he would not say definitely that the suitcase belonging to his father, but he had one similar to it. It is understood this witness did not view the body. The inquest was adjourned sine die. x POLICE SEARCH INQUIRIES IN WELLINGTON ARTICLES REMOVED FROM HOUSE (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Though at the time of going to press last night no arrest had been made in connection with the Picton suitcase mystery, there is every reason to believe that the police inquiry has narrowed down in the last 24 hours. Extensive and painstaking inquiries were carried out all day yesterday by Wellington detectives under Sub-In-spector J. Carroll. After several other avenues of information had been explored, a party of detectives from the Central Station went by car to 20 Hinau Street, Hataitai, the residence of the man believed to have been the victim of the crime. There a complete investigation of the house and grounds was made. When the detectives left they took with them a large number of articles including a large mattress, a wooden box, a pail, some small rolls of carpet, a wooden chair and a number of smaller articles. All these are now at the detective office.

Asked last night why the articles had been removed, the Commissioner of Police, Mr D. J. Cummings, declined to give any information on the subject.

Mr Cummings said that a thorough search had been made at the Picton wharf for the remaining portions of the body—the head and the legs—and, assuming they were there, it was hoped that the wash of the Tamahine as she left the wharf would cause the remains to rise to the surface. Failing that, however, he had given orders for dragging operations to be undertaken without delay.